₦airaland Forum

lordm:
Obi where art thou?

ADC or LP?

My best bet for Obi is to be VP to Atiku.

That's a guaranteed victory combination

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has distanced himself from a statement purportedly issued by him, which claimed he was joining the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Obi has reaffirmed his allegiance to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The former Anambra State governor made this known via a statement signed by Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement read in part: “Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth.

“He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda.

“The media office wishes, therefore, to urge the public to disregard any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his official handle.”

The Chairman and CEO of Gasoline Associates International Limited (GAIL), Dr. Lukman Akande Bolaji has given assurance that his refinery will redefine product availability in Nigeria when it comes on stream.

According to Bolaji, the refinery to be sited at Ipokia, a quiet corner of Ogun state, is designed to process 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day in its initial phase, with the capacity to scale up to 450,000 barrels daily.

Once operational, it will deliver essential fuels such as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Jet Fuel (ATK), along with petrochemical derivatives for both domestic use and international markets.

This initiative represents a strategic response to Nigeria’s dependency on imported petroleum products and positions Ogun state as a hub for energy and industrial innovation in West Africa.


The project has attracted attention from both local and international stakeholders, including the WOFBI Alumni Association, whose mission to promote transformational leadership resonates deeply with Bolaji’s ethos.

A man of many firsts with over 25 years of diverse professional experience spanning information technology, banking, energy, academia, and international business consulting, he noted.

“President Bola Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was not invited to the ceremony by the NNPCL management or the federal government.

The Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has resumed crude oil drilling at a field in the boundary of Bauchi and Gombe states.

Mr Yahaya said this at the ongoing two-day Interactive Session on Government-Citizens Engagement at the Arewa House, Kaduna. The forum, organised by the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, was to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s performance in the northern region in the first half of the administration’s term.

Mr Yahaya recalled how Mr Tinubu almost missed the flag-off ceremony of the oil drilling project at Kolmani in 2022 during the administration of former late President Muhammadu Buhari until he invited him to the event.

“President Bola Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was not invited to the ceremony by the NNPCL management or the federal government. I said no, we have a candidate who has to know something about this project, and I proposed to the then party leadership to invite him to the event under the APC forum,” Mr Yahaya recalled.

“I believe that President Buhari would go, and someone would come in and continue the project.

I personally invited President Tinubu to the event, and he said that he would continue the project where the Buhari administration stopped.

He fulfilled that promise because, as of today, the oil companies have resumed work at the field after so many lengthy negotiations with the National Security Adviser. By next week, Inshallah, the result will begin to show,” he said.

The NNPCL announced in October 2019 the discovery of hydrocarbon deposits in the Kolmani River II Well on the Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin, in the North-eastern part of the country.

The Nigerian government began drilling at Kolmani in 2022, the first in the region after several crude oil explorations in the Upper Benue Trough.

The discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities in the Gongola Basin, according to the NNPCL, will attract foreign investment, generate employment for people to earn income and increase government revenues.

The government said over a billion barrels of oil and 500 billion cubic feet of gas were found within the Kolmani area of Gombe and Bauchi, and the discovery had already attracted a $3 billion investment.

zero8zero:
I can't see her carrying camera around like one Agulu fraud.

First Lady Remi Tinubu on Tuesday announced a ₦1 billion donation by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support families displaced by a suspected herders’ attack in Benue State.

She made the announcement at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House during her condolence visit to the state, following the attack on Yelewata community in June, which claimed over 100 lives.

According to her, the donation, aligned with the mission of the Renewed Hope Initiative, is intended to help displaced families regain stability, return to their livelihoods, and build better lives.

“On behalf of the governing council of the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI will be making a donation of ₦1 billion to help displaced families get back on their feet, return to earning a living, and have a better life.

“This is in line with the objectives of the Renewed Hope Initiative as captured in our motto: Towards a Better Life for Families,” Remi Tinubu stated.

More to follow…

Mariangeles:
I commend Tinubu for rewarding the girls.

That was how it used to be until tight fisted Buhari came and changed things.

The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to include Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates for every capital project valued at ₦150 million and above in their 2025 expenditure submissions.

This new requirement, detailed in the implementation guidelines for the 2025 Appropriation Act, is aimed at enhancing transparency, traceability, and accountability in the execution of public projects across Nigeria.

According to the Budget Office of the Federation, the GPS mandate applies to MDAs submitting their monthly expenditure plans to both the Budget Office and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF). These submissions are due by July 31, 2025, and will serve as the foundation for government cash planning throughout the fiscal year.

“All MDAs are requested to submit their monthly Expenditure Plans for the full year to the Budget Office of the Federation and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation by July 31, 2025, which will guide cash planning. The MDAs’ Expenditure Plans must indicate the GPS coordinates for all capital projects of ₦150 million and above,” the directive stated.

In addition, the guidelines require each expenditure plan to be approved by the Director-General of the Budget Office, ensuring alignment with the 2025 budget and the Federal Government’s strategic priorities.

The inclusion of GPS data is part of broader reforms under Nigeria’s Bottom-Up Cash Management Strategy, which aims to eliminate duplicate, abandoned, or untraceable projects, and to boost real-time project verification through digital tools.

The Federal Government emphasized that procurement processes must begin immediately and must strictly adhere to approved budget allocations. Furthermore, it warned that capital budget implementation will not extend beyond December 2025, making timely execution a top priority.

Monthly cash releases to MDAs will now be contingent on approved expenditure plans and tied to a comprehensive annual cash plan, which is being developed by the OAGF in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. This consolidated cash plan will require the signature of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

The new directive underscores a shift toward greater fiscal discipline and improved oversight, particularly as concerns grow around the effectiveness and monitoring of large-scale public investments.

The new directive underscores a shift toward greater fiscal discipline and improved oversight, particularly as concerns grow around the effectiveness and monitoring of large-scale public investments.

“He was governor of Anambra State under APGA. By the time he left, he stopped being governor, he desperately wanted to become a minister. He tried to become aviation minister. It didn’t work out.

“Eventually, Jonathan just made him chairman of the SEC. Anyway, the man [Jonathan] was on his way out. I think this was April 2015, and he still took it, right? It took Buhari to fire him as Chairman of SEC.

“From there, he then becomes born again. Under this new political system, the Labour Party, he became completely born again, a different, fresh Nigerian that had never been part of the old order.

He’s shaking hands with them, he’s sitting with them, he’s signing his names with them.

“Now, I use the word compromise, but it’s not compromise. He’s gone back exactly where he actually has always been.”

Nigerian political commentator and social media expert, Japheth Joshua Omojuwa, has given reasons why he believes strongly that Peter Obi will never be President.

Omojuwa, during an interview on Mic On Podcast, maintained his confident declaration that Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, will never become Nigeria’s president.

Asked if his declaration is not an overtly absolute verdict in a democratic setting known for its surprises, especially when the same system once brought an opposition candidate, late former President Muhammadu Buhari, to power after three failed attempts, Omojuwa explained that the former Anambra State governor is still part of the old system.

“The question intentionally pretends that I didn’t give the reason why he [Obi] wouldn’t be president,” he said.

“I’m going to give [reason]. I said that he wouldn’t become president on account of certain things.

And the funny thing is, even people that were allies with him have been on your podcast, and they’ve also more or less said the same thing in different ways.

“There’s a philosopher that says that you cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.

“And Peter Obi, he knows that too. You know why he has compromised his position. So Peter Obi was of the system, a beneficiary of the system of the old order.

“He was governor of Anambra State under APGA. By the time he left, he stopped being governor, he desperately wanted to become a minister. He tried to become aviation minister. It didn’t work out.

“Eventually, Jonathan just made him chairman of the SEC. Anyway, the man [Jonathan] was on his way out. I think this was April 2015, and he still took it, right? It took Buhari to fire him as Chairman of SEC.

“Eventually, he ran as Atiku’s vice presidential candidate, a full-blooded PDP member, becoming a presidential candidate under, you know, running under a PDP ticket.

“From there, he then becomes born again. Under this new political system, the Labour Party, he became completely born again, a different, fresh Nigerian that had never been part of the old order.

“He enjoyed some miraculous change and perception, and unfortunately for him, that did not carry into the presidency.

“And then he comes back and says, what changed? What do I need to change? What has he been doing? He’s been going to be with, in bed with the same people that he said were the structure of criminality.

He’s shaking hands with them, he’s sitting with them, he’s signing his names with them.

“Now, I use the word compromise, but it’s not compromise. He’s gone back exactly where he actually has always been.”

id911:
If Professor Nentawe Yilwatda has been so good as the writer made us to understand, he has been the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction for more than 2 years now. What's the percentage of poverty he has helped reduced in Nigeria since he took over?

The man who will orchestrate President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign speaks in measured tones and thinks three moves ahead.

Those who have worked closely with Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the new All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, say he doesn’t enter a room to be seen, but rather to shift the ground. He speaks sparingly, listens obsessively, and calculates like an engineer rewiring a system he already understands.

Described as a “dangerous political strategist”, party sources who spoke with THE WHISTLER said he is a tactician with the instincts of a sniper and the patience of a chess grandmaster.

President Tinubu and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC handed over the reins of the party to him during the NEC meeting held on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

His emergence was hailed as a “masterstroke” by the APC NEC. Until his election, Professor Yilwatda was the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

The NEC’s endorsement ended weeks of speculation about who would replace Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned in June, citing health reasons.

The decision on Yilwatda was reported first by THE WHISTLER on Wednesday.


A party source told THE WHISTLER on Thursday that the new chairman’s political instincts, youth appeal, and ICT background are essential ingredients for APC’s success at the next general election.

“He is a dangerous strategist,” a party insider told THE WHISTLER in an exclusive interview. “He came into politics after leaving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and he is very good with ICT. He’s also a professor of engineering.”

“People with ICT background, when you examine their emotional intelligence, are usually quiet, and such a person is a strategist. He’s also always thinking of how to manoeuvre his way in terms of technology,” the source said.

The APC source also described Yilwatda as an ideological offspring of President Tinubu’s political strategy.

“Yilwatda is an offspring of the Tinubu political strategy ideology. You know Tinubu is very quiet, but you will see his things going smoothly everywhere. So, Yilwatda can be likened to President Tinubu’s quiet and strategic nature. He’s very quiet but strikes like Tinubu,” said the source.

“So, as someone coming from the Tinubu political school of thought, the choice of Professor Yilwatda is a masterstroke by the APC NEC.”

According to the party chieftain, the similarity between Tinubu and Yilwatda became evident during the latter’s bid for the 2023 APC gubernatorial ticket in Plateau State.

“When many people were campaigning to be the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, he was very quiet behind the scenes and before you know it, everything worked in his favour and he became the candidate.

“In fact, I have never seen Professor Yilwatda fail in any of his political calculations apart from losing the Plateau governorship election by a slim margin,” the source added.


Meanwhile, central to APC’s 2027 calculations is Yilwatda’s ability to connect with Nigeria’s youth demographic, said the party chieftain.

“Professor Yilwatda can simply walk into a roadside restaurant and engage youths in a conversation and share ideas with them. Apart from this, Yilwatda is social media friendly. You could chat him up on Facebook, for instance, and he would be quick to reply,” the source explained.

The ruling party is said to be targeting Nigeria’s youth in the next election, which comprises about 70 per cent of the country’s total population, and about 60-70 per cent of the country’s eligible voters.

As of 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said there were a total of 93,469,008 eligible voters in its voters register after the final cleanup that includes the removal of double registration and underage voters.

The commission said 49,054,162 or 52.5 per cent of the total voters were male while the remaining 44,414,846 or 47.5 per cent were female voters. The register also showed that 37,060,399 or 39.65 per cent of voters were between the ages of 18 and 34; while 33,413,591 or 35.75 per cent are middle-aged persons between the ages of 35 and 49.

The source told THE WHISTLER that Yilwatda’s appeal to these demographics could prove decisive for the ruling APC.

“So, if he (Yilwatda) plays his cards very well the way he did when he emerged APC’s gubernatorial candidate in Plateau and captured the young population, the ruling party will emerge victorious at the polls in 2027,” he predicted.

The new APC chairman polled 44.55 per cent (481,400 votes) against Caleb Mutfwang’s 48.62 per cent (525,299 votes). On March 20, 2023, Mutfwang was declared the winner by INEC.

However, Yilwatda rejected the results and commenced a legal battle that initially succeeded with a Court of Appeal judgement in November that overturned the result and declared Yilwatda as the rightful winner. However, the Supreme Court upheld the election of Mutfwang in January 2024. The apex court’s decision led to tensions across the state following a protest that ensued.

Meanwhile, the party is banking on Yilwatda to deliver Plateau and North Central for Tinubu at the polls.

“So, as the APC national Chairman, Yilwatda can guarantee more than 400,000 votes in Plateau toward President Tinubu’s re-election at the polls. This means that President Yilwatda can deliver Plateau State to Tinubu in the next presidential election,” he said.


Another party source said in a chat with THE WHISTLER: “With Professor Yilwatda as national chairman, there’s no need for any discussion about changing the vice president as President Tinubu’s running. His strategic positioning eliminates that conversation,” said the source.

“While some people have been whispering about whether President Tinubu needs a different running mate for 2027, Yilwatda’s appointment makes that discussion irrelevant. He brings everything we need to the table – youth appeal, Northern representation, and proven electoral strategy, and he is a Christian.”

The source added, “The beauty of having Yilwatda as chairman is that he complements a Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Vice President Shettima remains an asset, and why fix what isn’t broken when you can strengthen what’s already working?”

“Any talk of changing running mates was always about electoral calculations. Can we win the North? Can we capture the youth vote? Can we manage the electoral process effectively? Yilwatda answers all these questions from the chairman’s position. so the last ticket is intact.”

In his acceptance speech, Yilwatda struck themes of unity and pledged to build the party.

“I do not take this mandate for granted,” he said. “I want to accept it with gratitude, and with my full heart and full mind, to work together with you to build the party, knowing that all of us here are the mechanics of the party, and the party’s survival will fix it, and move it to a destination of choice.”

“I pledge, without hesitation, that I will work with everybody in the party, I will unite the party, I will build the party, I will expand the party… so that we can fulfill the dreams of Nigerians who have lost their hope in the Renew Hope Agenda,” the source added.

Born August 8, 1968, the Plateau-born engineer served as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State from July 2017 to December 2021, and oversaw elections across Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers, and Cross River.

He served as the ICT director at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for over 26 years. He also served as the Plateau coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council in 2023.

franchasofficia:
Peter Obi should not mind these jesters abeg.



When PDP was alive they refused to work for Obi to emerge their flag bearer, now that they have sucked all the life out of PDP and it is now a working corpse, they want to return the relics back to the founders, Ndigbo, what a wicked people